Connecting and tying devices



Dec. 31, 1957 H. A. GUTHANs coNNEcTING AND TYING nEv1cEs med oct. 12. 195s] INVENToR Harold A. 'uthan" United States Patent @time 2,818,229 Patented Dec. 31,1957

CONNECTING AND TYING DEVICES Harold A. Guthans, Mobile, Ala.

Application October 12, 1953, Serial No. 385,492

3 Claims. (Cl. 254--67) This invention relates to connecting and tying devices and particularly to a variable length connecting and tying means. The invention has particular applicability to barge and vessel connectors such as are used for example in connecting barges when tieeted together for towing purposes. The practice heretofore followed in connecting barges has been to fasten the barges together with a cable and to tighten the ends of the cable together by a type of a porable turnbuckle commonly called a ratchet. This practice was dangerous since the ratchets when subjected to undue strain would break, releasing the cable and at times injuring the barge tenders or seamen who happen to be working in the area. The practice was, moreover, time consuming and expensive because of losses and high maintenance and repair on the movable type of ratchet. The ratchets heretofore used are, moreover, awkward to readjust and frequently a suiiicient strain on the cable is dificult, if not impossible, to obtain without several readjustments. The portable ratchet is inherently dangerous because the parts tend to fly in all directions at high velocities if they break under strain. It is also dangerous to release the conventional type of portable ratchet when there is strain on the rigging such as happens in emergencies. The ratchet, being a loose piece of equipment, is easily lost overboard and damaged by careless handling. All of these difficulties are overcome by the connector of the present application.

According to a preferred embodiment of my invention I provide a pair of lixed guide members on the barge or vessel deck. A sliding carriage is mounted for movement on these guide frames. One side of the carriage is xed to one end of a variable length tightening means, the other end of the carriage is provided with a releasable locking cable-engaging member. A second movable carriage is preferably provided on the guide frames spaced from the rst carriage and connected to the opposite end of the variable length tightening means. Means are provided on the second carriage for fixing the carriage at spaced intervals on the guide frames and means are provided for actuating the variable length tightening means.

Preferably I also provide means on the side of the guide frame for xing a cable end against movement relative to the frames.

I have described certain salient features of my invention as they appear in a preferred embodiment, however, other advantages and objects will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a barge connector according to a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on the line il--ll of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a section through the carriage on the line III-III of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section through a second carriage on the line IV-IV of Figure l; and

Figure 5 is a partial side elevation of the cable attachment device of Figure l.

Referring to the drawings I have illustrated a pair of spaced parallel side frames 10 having an inturned ange 11 at the top thereof. The side frames are welded to the deck of a barge 12 or the like adjacent a corner of the barge near the bits (not shown). ln other applications the side frames are Welded on a xed surface of one of the objects to be connected. A sliding carriage 14 is mounted on the flanges 11 at one end. The carriage 14 is made up of a top plate 15 and a bottom plate 16 separated by an intermediate spacer member 17. A U-shaped clamp 18 threaded at the end of each arm is inserted through openings in the plates 15 and 16 and the spacer member 17, one arm of the U passing through a ring on a threaded screw member 19. rthe U-shaped member 18 carries a movable link Ztl upon which is pivoted an L.shaped arm frequently called a pelican hook 20a. A locking ring 21 is slidable on the U-clamp 18 in order to lock the pelican hook 2tlg to the U-shaped member. The pelican hook 20a is adapted to pass through and hold either a loop in the cable 36 or a link 20b of the series of free links xed to one end of the tightening cable 36. A second carriage is slidably mounted on the opposite end of the spaced-apart side frames 10 and is formed of a top member 24 and a bottom member 25 separated by a U- shaped spacer member 26 and held together by bolts, one of which passes through a ring on the end of a second threaded screw member 19a opposite the U-clamp. The two screw members 19 and 19a threadingly engage a threaded barrel 19b with right and left hand threads. VThe barrel 1% is provided with a drive gear 19C and an actuating ratchet handle by means of which it may be turned. The other bolt passes through a section of chain 27. The end of the chain 27 is used to anchor the second carriage in position along the frame members 10 by inserting into a holding member 28 formed at the end of the side frames 10` by welding a member having a keyhole slot 29 so that the chain 27 is adjustably positioned by engaging a link therein. Holes 30 are provided on the sides of the frame 10 to receive a pin 31 which acts as a stop member to hold the carriage 14 while the tightening means is relaxed to permit readjusting or resetting the chain 27 in the keyhole slot 29. The pin 31 when inserted in hole 30 in the side of the frame lies in the pattern of travel of the carriage 14 so that the carriage abuts it and is prevented from sliding in the frame 10 while the chain 27 is being reset. The tightening means is finally tightened in the usual manner, thereafter removing the bar 31 from the holes 30 in the side frame. A pair of spacedapart brackets 32 are welded on the side of one of the guide frames 10. A collar 32a is welded on the bottom bracket spaced from the bracket and the side frame to receive the cable loop. A removable collar 33 is inserted between these brackets 32 above the fixed collar 32a and is held in position by a bolt 34. This collar tits above the loop 35 in the fastening cable 36 on the xed collar 32a and prevents its removal from the barge and the fixed collar 32a.

When making a connection with the connector of my invention one end of the fastening cable 36 is lixed through the loop 35 to the collar 33. The cable is passed around the ttings usually used on the vessel when connecting together. The free end of the cable is then fixed to chain links 20b which are then fixed to the pelican hook 20a and the screws 19 and 19a are brought together by turning the threaded barrel 19b by means of the ratchet handle 19d and gear 19C.

I have particularly described my invention as applied to connecting barges together as when fleeted together for towing. Similarly the connecting and tying device of my antenas 11 invention can be used for tying down a load on the declc of a vessel or for connecting various vessels or objects together. Accordingly, while I have illustrated and described a present preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood that it may be otherwise embodied Within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A connecting device for barges and the like vessels comprising a pair of fixed spaced guide members having rails extending transverse to the plane of the guide members and toward each other, a movable anchor member slidable on the rails between the guide members and held against rotation by said rails, adjustable locking means adjustably xing the position of the movable anchor member in the guide means, a movable carriage slidable on the rails between said guide members and spaced from the anchor member, said movable carriage being held against rotation by the rails, a screw member fixed to each of the anchor and the movable carriage, means engaging said screw members and drawing them toward each other to vary the spacing between the anchor and the carriage, said anchor member and movable carriage being supported by the rails and guide members against side thrust whereby the screw means is protected against forces acting in directions transverse to its length and cable engaging .means on the carriage adapted to receive a connecting cable.

2. A connecting device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guide members are provided with openings transverse to the path of travel of the carriage, and stop means adapted to pass through said openings in the path of the carriage whereby the carriage may be temporarily held for repositioning of the anchor member during the tying and connecting operation.

3. A connecting device for barges and like vessels cornprising a pair of fixed spaced substantially parallel guide members adapted to be xed to a surface of a vessel, a movable anchor member slidable between said guide members and held against rotation thereby, locking means ad* justably lixing the position of the movable anchor member in the guide means, a movable carriage slidable between said guide members and spaced from the anchor member, screw means connecting said anchor member and movable carriage whereby the distance therebetween may be varied, said screw means comprising a screw ixed against rotation into each of the anchor and the movable carriage, a hollow internally threaded barrel receiving the threaded ends of the screw members and drawing them toward each other when rotated, a drive gear on the barrel and ratchet handle means pivoted on the barrel engaging the drive gear to rotate on the barrel, said anchor member and movable carriage between said guide members whereby the screw means is protected against forces acting in directions transverse to its length, and hook means on the movable carriage adapted to receive a connecting cable.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 111,564 Patterson Feb. 7, 1871 1,037,615 Grenier Sept. 3, 1912 1,520,144 Sansoni Dec. 23, 1924 1,676,584 Tdeman July 10, 1928 1,816,897 Fedderman et al Aug. 4, 1931 2,220,288 Sarosdy Nov. 5, '1940 2,604,678 Mayes 1 July 29, 1952 2,742,874 Patterson Apr. 24, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 114,641 Switzerland Apr. 16, 1926 

